Harvesting Romance
by BlackndRose
Summary: Chelsea left home to start fresh, and after the ship has wrecked she's content to stay where they are, desperate for the new start. She meets the new people as they come but can't get her mind off of that darned cowboy.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Island Survivors

"You're not a boy, freak, so stop acting like one." The woman hissed violently at the girl she'd thrown on the floor. Stacy Nightingale hated the wench on the floor. She acted too boyish, not like a lady like she should.

"I know, Mama." Chelsea whispered, tucking a strand of her brown hair behind her ear.

"Your hair is still ugly, no matter how much you move it behind your ears. You should've been born with my lovely blonde hair; you would've turned out better." Chelsea flinched, but didn't dare move any more than she already had. Any type of movement would make her mother mad when she was in one of these moods.

After Stacy's ranting was over, she stormed out of the room.

Chelsea stood nervously, as if her mom could still come bursting into the room and push her back down. She glanced nervously into the large mirror her mother used to make her stand in front of everyday and tell her what needed improvement. She tugged on her unchanging mud brown hair and wished she could change it. She didn't have the faintest idea of why she kept it so long when she hated the sight of it. Maybe, she thought, it was just a curtain to shield her from her mother.

She wanted to spit at the dull blue eyes she saw looking back at her-she wished they were green, like her mother's. She looked too much like her father, acted too much like him, and dreamed too much like him. In all essence, she wanted to be like him even if her mother was probing her with doubts and hurt.

After wiping the dirt from her black slacks and turquoise silk blouse, Chelsea went to stand by her window. These seemingly formal clothes were as casual as her mom allowed. She wanted jeans and t-shirts, and sneakers! Not heels that got stuck in the mud when she tried to chase after her friends. The cool feel of the glass felt good again Chelsea's hot cheek. She would _not _cry. It was stupid, this feeling of despair because she could wear hiking boots or shorts.

There was nothing to fret about, Chelsea told herself. Soon, she'd be 18 and be able to leave. She glanced around the purple room and grimaced. And hopefully, she'd never have to act like she liked this girliness again. Purple was the compromise in their decorating decision. Stacy had wanted Chelsea to be surrounded with pink-something that would surely make her more of a girl-but Chelsea wanted a blue or green wall, something calming. Her mother finally settled on purple, it was still girlish and it wasn't as frightening as pink.

A small smile worked its way up on Chelsea's face. Her birthday was sooner than soon, it was next week. She wouldn't have to deal with all of this after that. She loved her mom dearly and just wanted to be close to her, but her mom was so disappointed that her only child was more like her father. Chelsea missed her dad, and missed how he always ended their fights with his clever jokes. Her mom had loved her husband, more than anything in the world. Maybe all of the grief she'd given Chelsea was just her own grief.

For the next week, Chelsea wore her girliest dresses to make Stacy happy even if she was laughed at by her friends. She wore her hair in bows and ribbons, and went to her mother's parties with her.

On the day after her birthday, she emerged from her room with her long hair cut to shoulder length in nice, neat layers. She was proud of her handiwork as she tugged on her orange button up shirt over her yellow tank top.

"What are you wearing?" Chelsea turned to see her mother's red face and looked down.

"Shorts, and boots. And a shirt." She said with a grim smile. "I'm moving out, Mama. Don't worry, I'll write you as soon as I settle in!"

"You're leaving me?" Chelsea saw the tears well up in her mother's eyes and rushed to hug her.

"I have to be on my own, Mama. I'll be fine. I'm a strong girl." She wiped a tear away.

"That sentence should never be spoken. I'm sorry, Chelsea. If I promise to let you be you, will you stay?" Another tear slipped down Stacy's cheek. She realized all of these years of trying to make Chelsea like her had chased her away.

"No, Mama. I have to go. I have to do this for myself." And for dad, she added silently. She would go find a new home, and she wanted to be a rancher, like her dad had once been, before meeting her mom.

"Come visit, I'll even change your room so you'll like it when you visit." Chelsea didn't understand the sudden change in her mother, but skipped out of the house before she was talked into staying.

She happily boarded a boat, humming her favorite song as the ship took off. She'd be happy when she reached the island, but the storm brewing ahead of the boat worried her. They were headed for another city, but she wasn't sure if they'd even make it there with that storm.

Her fears were proven to be true when she woke up to the flicker lights and the boat swaying so hard it threw her into the wall. She cursed and stood, heading for the door.

"Get on a lifeboat!" The captain shoved her towards the boat that held an older man, a woman and two people her age.

"What about you?" She yelled over the loud, forceful wind. "What are you going to do?"

She refused to move an inch until she knew that he'd be okay.

"I have to try and save me ship!" He pushed Chelsea harder, successfully shoving her over the edge and into the lifeboat.

"You have to come with us! It isn't safe to stay here!" Chelsea adjusts the straps of her rucksack and prepared to grab the man to pull him with her. Two more men joined the captain in lowering the lifeboat into the water. Her mind was racing, why were they just staying on the boat? If it was safe for them to be there, couldn't she stay to help?

"We'll find you when the weather is clear!" The tone of the captain's voice made it clear that he was very doubtful either of the boats would last that long.

As she sunk down into her seat, Chelsea was very aware of the waves wrenching them away farther and farther from the ship but not one of the worried passengers spoke. No one lifted their heads to look at one another. The only moment anyone talked was when Chelsea pointed up as a large rock they were headed for. No one would have noticed if she hadn't happened to glance up at the old man to see how he was faring. She warned them all to jump before they crashed, making sure everyone else was as secure as they could be and were off of the small boat before she herself dived into the violent waters.

When Chelsea opened her eyes again, she vaguely recognized the older man standing above her.

"Thank Goddess you're okay!" A woman's voice drifted from behind the older man after he had pulled her up.

"I'm just fine!" She grinned at the two. "I'm Chelsea. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Taro, this is my daughter Felicia. Those are my grandkids." He jerked his thumb behind him.

"Hey! I'm Natalie." The girl set down the sticks she'd been carrying. "This is my dorkish brother, Elliot."

"This island looks deserted, but the building are still here. We actually thought we should stay here." Felicia said in a sweet voice and put her arm around her father's shoulder.

"Well, I was heading to Mineral Town, but I guess I could be a rancher here!" Chelsea put my hands on my hips and observed the area around them.

"A rancher, you say?" Taro perked up. "I used to be a pretty good rancher, if I do say so myself. I saw a large field up ahead."

He took Chelsea's arm and tugged her behind him in a speed she would've thought impossible for an old man, he stopped shortly to show her the small shack his family had deemed theirs.

"You could live here! Your work here might bring this island back to life." He looked up at her.

"That's a lot of pressure." Chelsea mumbled and rubbed the back of her neck. "I can do it!"

She turned to the house and smiled. "It isn't that bad. I'll like it here."

"Settle in, Chelsea. I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early!" He had already started to leave when she turned to wave at him.

Chelsea smiled again and went to her house. She jumped back in shock when the door fell in. She cursed and set it back up but didn't let it deter her for long. She could fix that, easily. She rummaged through what looked like an old tool box and found a semi-rusty screwdriver. The people who had lived here before sure seemed to leave a lot of stuff behind. Didn't they have the money to take everything with them?

She looked out a window and sighed. By the looks of things, she supposed that they hadn't. She fixed the door quickly and wiped her brow. It took more work with that rusty screwdriver than it should have. Maybe she could find a way to get new tools.

She cleaned the bed as best she could before falling into it, completely exhausted.

It was a week before any new faces showed up, besides Chen, Charlie, and Gannon. They had happened here by chance while looking for a small island to live on. Chelsea got her new tools, plus got some more people to socialize with. Natalie was her first friend on the island, though Chelsea was friendly with them all.

A plump woman stepped off of the ship one morning with her tall, blonde daughter. Chelsea felt a pang in her heart when she saw the girl. Her mom would've loved her if she'd been more like the newcomer. She didn't let it faze her when she went up to greet her and her mother.

Julia and Mirabelle were greeted with a small crowd of the smiling islanders. They were wonderful people, but soon Julia crossed her arms and tapped her boot on the deck.

"Vaughn, get your behind out here!" After a round a footsteps on the ship, a tall man stepped onto the deck.

"I was coming. Somebody had to get your bag." He grumbled and dropped the bag on her foot.

"Vaughn!" Mirabelle chastised him, and people stepped up to greet the man with the cowboy hat on his head. He shook their hands quickly and only nodded. He had a cold aura around him, but Chelsea was fascinated. She couldn't get enough of his silver hair or amethyst eyes. The way he acted-like his heart was hard or not even there-made her want to jump up and hug him.

"What are you looking at?" He snapped in a harsh tone, making Chelsea jump.

"I'm sorry, I'm Chelsea." Vaughn looked down at the petite hand and noticed the fresh marks of work on them, signaling that she was probably the rancher he'd heard about. He shrugged and pushed past her and frowned when he realized she could fall into the water. He turned quickly and held out an arm when he saw her flailing her arms out in an attempt to steady herself.

"Thanks." She mumbled as he stalked away, staring after him.

"Don't worry, Chels. He's just a jerk." Chelsea looked up at Julia, who had already gave her a nickname, and nodded mutely.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

More Neighbors

The next morning, Chelsea folded up the letter with her neat handwriting on it and slipped it into the envelope. Natalie said that they could make sure it was sent to her mother to let her know she was settled and how she was doing. She conveniently left out her occupation since her mom probably wouldn't like what she was doing. The more Chelsea thought about it, the more she realized the reason behind her mother's cruelty. She couldn't find it in herself to hate Stacy Nightingale.

Chelsea shipped half of the turnips that she had harvested and the other half in her bag. Her potatoes weren't quite ready yet, but she planted more turnips where the others had been. Chelsea found herself skipping into town to drop of the letter and give Elliot a fresh turnip.

"I'm sorry it isn't the best of quality but it's my first batch." She grinned at the shy, pink haired boy.

"No, don't be sorry." He smiled back and she gave one to Taro, too. It was thanks for the fishing pole he'd given her the other day.

Chelsea walked to Gannon's shop next and set her rucksack on the counter with a smile.

"Good morning, Miss Chelsea. How are you today?" The big man came from his kitchen.

"I'm just fine. I have enough money for a chicken coop!" She nearly squealed in delight. She'd brought in a big load of fish yesterday after Julia had left to settle in and it had given her a lot of money. She had never gone fishing before-it was too much of a boy thing-but she loved it.

"That's great! I'll have it done tomorrow!" He grabbed his tool bag and started outside.

"That fast?" She frowned, "You're gonna work all day?"

"It won't take all that much work. I'm an excellent carpenter." He shrugged and went out the door before Chelsea could say more. She took my rucksack off the counter and went back outside, the breeze blowing her hair slightly.

She looked down at the beach to see a man her age sitting on the dock. His curly brown hair was covered partially with a purple bandana. A black bird was flying above him and suddenly began to swoop down towards him.

"Hey, watch out!" She shouted as she ran towards him. He jumped up in confusion and looked up. Chelsea stopped in her tracks when the man started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" I crossed my arms and huffed.

"This is my bird, Kuu. He was just flying around." He laughed as the bird landed on his arm.

"I feel stupid now," She laughed and stuck out her hand, "I'm Chelsea, the local rancher."

"I'm Denny. I just moved here because I saw this incredible load of fish come in last night!" He picked up his fishing pole.

"Oh, I'm glad you're here. Maybe we can fish together sometime?" She held out her hand for the bird and it happily hopped on it. Chelsea petted its head gently, before it hopped back to Denny's shoulder.

"Are you the fisher that caught the fish I saw?" He sat back down on the dock, and she sat beside him.

"Actually, yeah, I am. I caught most of them on my farm. There's a river up there." Chelsea pulled out her own fishing pole and cast the hook into the water.

"I haven't gotten a good look at the town, but I'd like to fish up there sometime. If that's okay with you?" He pulled in a small fish and set it into a cooler.

"It's fine as long as you don't mess with my crops." She stuck her tongue out and pulled in a fish.

They sat in silence fishing for a while before Chelsea decided she had other people to visit. They said goodbye and she set many of her fish in the shipping bin outside of Taro's house. She kept the medium sized fish to cook with.

Chelsea went to the animal shop and waved at Mirabelle. She told her about the chicken coop she was getting and she showed her the prices for a chicken. Chelsea smiled a wide grin when she realized she could afford one.

"You know how to take care of chickens?" Julia pulled herself up onto the counter.

"Yeah, I mean, I might be a little rusty but when I was little I was taught how." Chelsea shrugged and pulled at her hair a little bit.

Vaughn walked in from the back room and froze for a second with a fluttering feeling in his chest. What in the world was she doing here, he thought to himself. Chelsea caught the sight of him out of the corner of her eye and waved at him. A blush crept up her cheeks and she didn't know why.

Chelsea's stomach seemed to completely sink when Vaughn grumbled something and left the shop.

"Did I do something?" She turned to her newest friend with a worried look.

"No, he's just like that. He thinks he's too good for most people. It doesn't really matter to me; he's only going to be here on the island two days a week." She shrugged began to study her nails.

Chelsea stood up with determination. She flew out of the shop so she didn't lose track of where the cowboy was going. When she spotted him, she called out his name but he didn't turn. He felt the irritation rise in his chest and then burst when he felt her small hand whip him around.

"What is your problem? You don't even wave back to a person?" She growled at the man who was an entire head taller than her. She didn't look away from the purple eyes for a second.

He sarcastically waved at her and turned around again. She stopped him, again, much to his dismay. She was angry. She just wanted to be friends with the guy, for goodness sake! Maybe if she was friends, that weird feeling in her chest would go away. She didn't know that he had the same feeling in his chest and it was the reason he wouldn't speak to her properly.

"No, you don't!" She cornered him against a tree and poked him with her finger, "I want to know exactly why I'm not good enough to be spoken to."

In her head, she already knew what he would say. She'd heard it a millions times from her mother.

"You're annoying! You're too happy and ugh!" He threw his hands up in the air in frustration.

She stepped away from him and furrowed her brow. "That's a new one, actually."

He didn't know what she meant but he didn't stick around to figure it out. After he left her sight, Chelsea pulled herself up onto a low branch and sat against the trunk of the tree. She lifted a piece of her hair into her sight and frowned. She had expected him to say she was too ugly, too dull. Her hair had no life in it and neither did her eyes. She didn't expect him to say she was annoying, though her mother said that often. What no one had ever said was that she was too happy.

Her cursed personality seemed to of ruined the prospects of having Vaughn as a friend, even though her heart pounded loud in her ears when she saw him. She refused to cry, because somehow she would make him change his mind about her.

Chelsea jumped from the branch and made her way to the diner a man she hadn't yet met opened up. She introduced herself and ordered a tempura rice to go. She walked slowly to her house, humming her favorite song and waved to the islanders she saw. Once she got to her ranch, she jogged across her field and pulled out the dish for Gannon.

"Hey, I got you something from the diner. I think you should take a break." Chelsea patiently waited for the man to climb down and he gratefully took the meal after exclaiming it was his favorite.

She sat with the man as he ate, chatting about random things until he insisted he had to get back to work if she wanted the coop done by tomorrow. Again, she protested that it didn't _have _to be done then but he continued as he was.

She checked her crops again before going into her house for the night. She made herself a small dinner with what little she had and then slipped into bed. She prayed silently to the harvest goddess to keep her ranch healthy as she drifted into an easy sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hey! I hope you enjoy this chapter born from a tired day of homework. r_r Three days and already piles of work! *sigh***_

_**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this! Reviews are appreciated. :D**_

* * *

><p>Chapter 3<p>

Rainy day

The next morning after breakfast, Chelsea was greeted with the sight of her brand new chicken coop. Any chicken would be proud to live there, she thought with a laugh. She watered her crops carefully and despite how Vaughn had spoken to her, she still had a bounce in her step.

She didn't water her crops today; the clouds were too dark and foreboding. Chelsea didn't want them to be drowned. Instead, she hopped into town and slipped into the shops to greet people. When she sat on a crate next to where Elliot and Natalie were working, she overheard Taro telling Felicia that a ship was coming in next week with many people who were looking to live or vacation here. She felt giddiness bubble up as her and Elliot discussed all the possibilities of their new neighbors.

Chelsea stepped into the animal shop next.

"Julia!" She sang terribly off key. She saw Vaughn grimace-or was that a smirk? She couldn't tell.

"Chels!" Julia sang back, just as off key.

"Did you hear about the boat load of new people coming next week?" Chelsea picked up a magazine from the table with false curiosity. She was really eyeing Vaughn closely, watching his reaction. He seeming growled and shook his head.

"Yeah, Nat came over and told me last night. She's ecstatic." She grinned at her friend and began stirring the ingredients in the bowl. She hadn't known Julia very long, but from the way she was glancing at the recipe book nervously, Chelsea concluded that Julia couldn't cook to save her life.

"Why don't I cook, Julia?" Chelsea took the bowl from the blonde and set it on the counter.

"I couldn't let you do that." She tried to pick it back up but Mirabelle walked into the room and told her to let Chelsea cook.

"Maybe she can teach you some pointers." Her mother advised with a kind smile. She turned to Vaughn, "Remember to pick up Chelsea's chicken before you come back next week!"

"What does Vaughn like?" Chelsea whispered to the older woman. Mirabelle looked at Vaughn, then back to Chelsea with a smile. She whispered the answer back and Chelsea set to work.

Less than 30 minutes later, Vaughn looked up from his coffee mug to see a fresh bowl of porridge sitting in front of him and a grinning farmer looking away pointedly. He tipped his hat down to hide the small smile that formed as he dug into his favorite dish. He listened to Julia ask both Mirabelle and Chelsea things about cooking. Vaughn was slightly surprised at the girl's cooking knowledge. She seemed like such a tomboy.

Earlier, when Chelsea had come in singing his cousin's name, he had to bite back a smile at the cute act and he'd bitten his cheek a little too hard. He didn't even realize he was _actually _biting his cheek until it happened. He felt this strong warmth spread through the house when she had opened the door, even though he saw the forming clouds.

He only had an hour before his boat arrived, he had come here a little early to help settle in, and so he had to head back to the city a little earlier. He'd have to pray that a storm didn't threaten the boat ride. He announced that he was leaving for the docks, and by the looks in Mirabelle's eyes, she prayed that he'd be safe too. When he glanced briefly at Chelsea, he saw the same concerned look.

"I'll come wait with you." Chelsea stood and followed the cowboy out the door and had to jog to keep up with his long strides. He looked at her but kept quiet as they stepped onto the sand. She ran to the dock like a child almost and sat with her legs over the side.

"Be careful, Chelsea. You could fall in." Vaughn warned stiffly before he realized the strange feeling he felt meant he wanted to protect her.

"That's the first time you've said my name, Vaughn." Chelsea smiled softly, "I like the sound of it."

She didn't mean to let that slip out and instantly regret it. She could feel the atmosphere shift as the cowboy went into lockdown. She just stared at the water and watched the fish swim around beneath her feet.

He eventually sat next to her but still stayed silent. Vaughn didn't like how she had said that to him. She sounded too familiar with him-like they were friends. He didn't have _friends. _They weighed a person down to a spot if they didn't dump you on the curb first. Even with these thoughts he felt his hand itch to touch hers. They were so close together.

When the boat came into view, Chelsea's throat felt like it had closed up. The sky looked so much like it had the day of the storm that brought her here. What if Vaughn got into an accident like that, but wasn't so lucky? She didn't have the heart to say any of that. It was depressing and he didn't need that.

She did however stand up when he did and even stood at the end of the dock watching him drift away. She whispered into the wind a prayer to the Harvest Goddess and the way he tilted his head with a small smile made her think he might have heard her wish.

She stayed there even when the rain started pouring. She wasn't yearning for Vaughn to come back-she knew he wouldn't so what was the use?-but she was just thinking. She was thinking about her school friends and some of the things she had left behind. Her best friend, Basil, had been her very own nature freak. They often went out to play in the forest as kids. Sometimes, Kurt and Joe would join them with Ann or Cliff in tow. There were actually quite a few people she had hung around.

Chelsea jumped, nearly falling into the water, when a warm hand touched her shoulder.

"Chelsea, what are you doing?" Denny said over the rain, "You'll get sick out here."

She nodded and followed him into his house with a sigh. She'd been lost in her memory of all her friends back home. Many of the more gossipy girls had thought of her as an easy girls since most of her friends were guys, but they had whispered the same things about Ann and Gwen too.

"You in there?" Denny tapped on her forehead, making her jump. He wrapped a blanket around her and led her to a purple pillow on the floor.

"Yeah, sorry." Chelsea nodded and looked up at Denny.

"What were you doing outside?" Denny put a kettle on the stove, and set out a tea bag.

"I was just thinking about my friends back where I grew up." She smiled up at the fisherman. She couldn't call it home, not really. This island was her home now. She felt tied to it, despite only being there a few days.

"You shouldn't do it out in the rain!" He scolded the silly farmer.

"I know, Denny. I'm sorry. I just spaced out." She shrugged and watched warily as he struggled to even make tea. She didn't offer to help this time though. She could tell he would let pride get in the way.

"Don't do it again, or I'll report you to Taro." He turned, winked and laughed.

Chelsea held her hands up in mock surrender. "I swear, sir."

She laughed at the face he made, a cross between sticking his tongue out and mean eyes. They drank his surprisingly good tea while they traded jokes and funny anecdotes. The rain started to morph into a storm slowly and Chelsea slowly lost her laughter. Vaughn was probably still out on the water and this storm didn't look friendly. Her brow furrowed and she stood to look out the window. As if she could see them, she strained her eyes to scan the horizon.

She explained the situation and Denny's brow furrowed. He had heard Taro tell the tale of how he had been shipwrecked on this island with his family and another person, though he said he wasn't inclined to tell him who that other person was. To the others, it must've been obvious but Denny didn't know who the first people on the island were. He was the newest member, until next week according to the farm girl.

He assumed the fifth wreck member was Chelsea, because the fear in her eyes was too great for someone who didn't know what the angry sea could be like.

"Are you okay?" He stepped up behind her in case she needed comforting. She reminded him of his little sister.

"Yes, I'm just worried. It isn't fun during a storm." She jumped high as thunder boomed through the sky.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" He touched her shoulder gently. She nodded, and then shook her head.

"Just take me to Natalie's?" She looked up at him with her big blue eyes.

"Sure, Chels." He grabbed his coat from the hook by the door, looked to her and then held it out to her.

She refused but he ignored her and slipped it onto her arms. He grabbed a lighter jacket for himself. It was an older one and he had only brought it because he had a habit of getting hooks caught in his sleeves.

"Hey, I like that one better!" Chelsea grinned playfully. Her plan for him to take the heavier jacket worked and he chuckled as he traded her. Her smiled went away when he opened the door.

Storms were terrifying to her now, it seemed. She used to love them but every time lightning flashed, she would see the rock smashing their lifeboat or their kind old captain shipping them off.

They walked silently together, but Chelsea wasn't too scared. Denny stayed by her side the entire walk and she felt protected. She never had a big brother, but she imagined this was what it would've been like if Denny was hers. Natalie threw open the door at the knock and it was obvious she had watched them approach. She heard Julia run up behind, with a wide grin.

"I was just making sure she made it here safe." Denny nodded to Chelsea and turned away.

"Thank you." She called after him and turned inside to face her friends.

"You and the new guy?" Julia squealed, making Natalie and Chelsea roll their eyes.

"No, Julia. He was walking me here because," She paused and looked around, "I'm scared."

She looked around again frantically to see if someone heard her terrible secret. She didn't know why she didn't want people to know, but three people already did. Julia narrowed her eyes at the brunette.

"Seriously, Julia. He found me standing at the docks in the rain, took me in, warmed me up, and then he walked me here." Chelsea followed the two girls into Natalie's room.

"Then why," Natalie turned sharply to Chelsea, "Are you wearing his jacket?"

"How do you know it's his? This could be mine." Chelsea grabbed the collar of the jacket as if it could prove a point.

"You didn't go to the dock with a jacket!" Julia piped, earning a cold glare from Chelsea.

"So what if it's his? He didn't want me walking in the rain without one. I'll give it back after I wash it." Chelsea shed the jacket and set it neatly in her rucksack to use later when she headed home.

"Do you like him?" Julia got about two inches from Chelsea's face.

"Not like you mean," Chelsea replied, unblinking, "He's seems kind of brotherly."

Julia and Natalie both kept their eyes on their friend until they seemed satisfied with the answer.

"So why did you come over here?" Natalie asked while she watched Julia flop down onto Natalie's bed.

"Well, I told you." Chelsea didn't want to say she that she was scared again. It made her weak.

"How can we help, oh master farmer?" Julia sat up, trying to look official.

"I don't know. I just didn't want to go home." Chelsea furrowed her brow. She really didn't know what she was doing here.

"You can sleep over, like me!" Julia offered and Chelsea laughed.

"That isn't your place to offer Julia." Chelsea shook her head and began to get the jacket back out.

"She's right, Chelsea. You can stay over." Natalie said.

"Really?" Chelsea was somewhat worried. She was never allowed to have sleepovers, though that hadn't stopped her. She had snuck out for all nighters or told her mother she was going to visit her aunt for the weekend and gone on camping trips with friends. But that had been with boys and the two other tomboys in town. It had consisted of sports and other activities outside-even at night; they only had long term conversations if the conditions weren't right for something else. These two weren't like that, they actually did girly things, and even Natalie supported some girly habits.

Chelsea wasn't devoid of girliness. Her mother had made sure of that, plus she liked children's movies about princesses and fairytales. She just didn't prefer the things that girls supposedly did at slumber parties.

She found herself nodding despite her worries. Julia squealed and pulled the farmer down onto the bed with her. It wasn't as bad as Chelsea thought it would be. They only talked about clothes minimally and the rest of the time they joked about ridiculous things they did at work.

They all went to bed early, since they all had work in the morning. Of course, Julia fell asleep thinking about the cute, nerdy, pink-haired boy was in the room next to them. Chelsea just fell asleep hoping Vaughn had made it to the city with no trouble.


End file.
